US canceled $ 766 million bird flu vaccine support amidst the worst outbreak
The US has withdrawn $ 766 million for modern H5N1 vaccine amidst an outbreak of a serious bird flu. This vaccine enhances concerns over development and preparation of epidemic as the virus spreads to cattle and humans.
In short
- Bird Flu has destroyed American hen forms affecting more than 173 million birds.
- Modern $ 766 million vaccine funding was canceled by US health officials
- Scientists have warned that mutation may increase the risk of human-human transmission
Even bird flu destroys poultry farms across the United States, which is the worst outbreak on record this year, the Trump administration has withdrawn $ 766 million in the first allocated funds to the Modern Inc. for the development of H5N1 vaccine.
The highly pathogenic H5N1 virus has caused widespread destruction in many countries, resulting in loss of millions of animals. In the US, the virus claimed its first human life in January 2025 after coming into contact with infected chickens.
Modern on Wednesday announced that the US Health and Human Services Department had canceled the funds honored in July 2024 and then in July 2024 to support the development and purchase of its practical vaccine.
Funding was provided through the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), which was a program designed to support medical counselors for potential public health emergency conditions.
Modern check vaccine, MRNA-1018, uses the same MRNA technology that enables rapid growth and deployment of covid-19 vaccines.
Despite the shock, the company shared interim results to include 300 healthy adults from its early stage clinical tests. The vaccine showed a strong immune response and a favorable security profile.
“While the termination of funding from HHS combines uncertainty, we are pleased with the strong immune response and safety profiles seen in this interim analysis,” modern said in a statement.
This step comes amid increasing suspicion within administration towards MRNA vaccine platforms. According to an associated press report, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior has publicly questioned his safety, despite the wide real -world data that MRNA vaccines are safe and have saved millions of lives.
Bird flu, which was initially spread through wild birds, now spread to cattle in the US, infects hundreds of animals in at least 17 states. By May 28, more than 173 million poultry has been affected. At least 70 human infections have been reported – mostly light – with a death so far.
Scientists are worried that viral mutations have continued, which can enable H5N1 to more dangerous or human-human transmission, which increases the possibility of future epidemic.
Modern received $ 176 million in July 2024 and $ 590 million in January 2025 to support vaccine development. The latter amount was aimed at large -scale testing, which could evaluate the effectiveness of the vaccine against potential epidemic strains, including the H5N1.
Earlier this year, a report by the Global Virus Network (GVN) urged governments to increase the monitoring of the virus, improve the bio-safety of the field, and ready for the possibility of human-human spread.
“H5N1 is no longer just a bird flu, it has already jumped for dairy cows and humans. The ability to infect both animals and humans, jointly, with recent genetic changes, underlines the importance of active monitoring,” Dr. Stan Vermund, GVN Chief Medical Officer said.
While the current public health risk is low, the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is closely monitoring the situation.
The agency is working with state health departments to track individuals coming in contact with infected animals and using existing flu monitoring systems to monitor the signs of H5 infections in humans.